Translator's note:Shinji Ogawa explains that the phrase, juka sekijoo, which literally means to sleep or dwell under a tree and on a rock, figuratively denotes "being a monk practicing austerities." Here, he says, Issa uses the phrase to mean "poor," or "petty." It seems to me, however, that the minor official is literally standing under a tree to avoid the rain, a visual image that provides Issa with this opportunity for word-play.My dilemma as a translator, then, is to decide whether I should:(1) mention the literal level of being under a tree and on a rock but lose the figurative meaning of practicing austerities; or(2) translate the figurative meaning (Shinji suggests the middle phrase, "how miserable") but lose the literal image of the official crouching under a tree.My compromise: I keep the tree but lose the rock, adding Shinji's "miserable."Tr. David Lanoue

Who is this "minor" or "petty" official?I found a definition of the word 'juka 儒家' by itself, which gave as its meaning: "Confucianist."The 'juka' I found may be a homonym for the word Issa used, but maybe Issa meant the word he used to suggest a Confucianist meaning as well as a Buddhist meaning. And I found as a meaning for the word 'koyakunin': "Low ranking samurai with various light duties such as guarding the gate or patrolling the grounds."

And looking up "Japanese Confucianism," I find this: "Neo-Confucianism (especially Chu Hsi Confucianism) was the most important philosophy of Tokugawa Japan in government and education."

So, during the 'sengoku jidai' period of Japanese history, "the age of the country at war," even a samurai of the lowest rank would ideally be imbued with the martial spirit, would at his best be influenced by Zen Buddhism, and would be expected to stoically endure austere conditions, even unto death.

Who had this 'koyakunin' become by Issa's time? Although still allowed to carry a sword (or maybe not?), he was a minor or petty official, imbued more with neo-Confucian values than with Zen Buddhist values.

I think Issa might be mocking the 'koyakunin's' samurai heritage or pretensions. Gone is the samurai stoicness. Instead of enduring the cloudburst as if it were part of a Buddhist austerity ritual, the minor official, a samurai in name only by Issa's time, looks miserable under the tree.

cloudburstsleeping under a tree, on a rocka petty officialLiteral translation by Larry Bole